"Brown Shoes Don't Make It" is a song about the people who run the
governments, the people who make the laws that keep you from living
the kind of life you know you should lead. These unfortunate people
manufacture inequitable laws and ordinance, perhaps unaware of the
fact that the restrictions they place on the young people in a
society are a result of their own hidden sexual frustrations. Dirty
old men have no business running your country.

Nasty-nasty-nasty!
Nasty-nasty-nasty!
(Only thirteen, and she knows how to NASTY)

From: TTrocc7007 <ttrocc7007@aol.com>

I recently began a pen-pal thing with a woman who went to school a couple
of years behind Frank, Don, Motorhead and others. Hers is a pretty
interesting perspective I thought I would share. As she has not given
permission for me to give out her address, I've snipped the headers.
(her text follows)

It was rumored that the song "She's only 13 and she knows how to nasty"
was written about a girl a year younger than me called Patty Keenen who
was a dead ringer for Bridget Bardot and looked old enough to buy beer for
the boys..Alas poor Patty is no longer with us. And the song "Brown shoes
dont make it" was the was it was in our school..brown shoes just weren't
cool.

This is a direct musical reference to a refrain of a Beach Boys'
hit single "Little Deuce Coupe" (Released 7/22/63 (Capitol 5009))

Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got
Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got

From: pbuzby@surfnetcorp.com (Pat Buzby)

FZ mentions in TRFZB that he liked the fact
that "Little Deuce
Coupe" used a V-ii progression in the chorus, a reversal of the
standard ii-V. I don't believe he made any other comments about the
Beach Boys.

From: Jon Naurin <naurin@mbox300.swopnet.se>

On the winter 1977 tour, "Broken Hearts Are For Asshole" would
occasionally feature a snippet of "Little Deuce Coupe".

Time to go home
Madge is on the phone
Gotta meet the Gurneys
And a dozen gray attorneys

According to Greg Russo' Cosmik Debris book
Senator Gurney is a character from FZ aborted movie project of 1965
'Captain Beefheart vs. Grunt People'. But most interesting that
vice squad Sgt. Willis who played the main role in FZ's arrest for
'conspirancy to a make a porno materials' while spyed on Frank and
Studio Z activity
innocently tried to audition for Gurney character.

Subject: Favourite Planet by Holst??

From: Chris Koenigsberg (ckk@pobox.com)

Various rock groups have used the rhythm from "Mars", and Frank Zappa
stole an entire excerpt, verbatim, from either Saturn or Jupiter, I forget
which? I believe it was a piece on Absolutely Free, that came after "Brown
Shoes Don't Make It"? (haven't listened to it for years)

From: "D.G. Porter" <dgporter@pacbell.net>

It's the triple-time section from "Jupiter" inside "Brown Shoes.."

Also two letters from one curious music lover

Number #1

Hey Vladimir,

I was searching the net and found your website. Years ago I had bought
an LP I NEVER listened to: Holst: The Planets. It sat in my record
collection for years collecting dust. After reading a book of essays
about Zappa compiled in collection of sorts (they were mostly about his
symphonic works) I decided what the hey, and started listening to all of
my "serious" music. The first I grabbed was the Planets. I was
listening to it in the background when much to my surprise, halfway
through Jupiter, the Invocation and Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin
came screaming out. I had to listen several times before I believed my
ears. The man I thought was the most original and innovate music guy I
had ever heard was a thief! Oh well, I still think he is awesome but I
wonder what else he has blatantly ripped off. The musicians in his band
said he constantly stole their ideas and then took credit for them. At
first I thought they were just jealous but now I'm sure their comments
are valid at least to a degree.

Anyhow, I don't even know if you will get this message, but if you could
comment I would appreciate it. I did a search: Holst + Zappa + Jupiter
and your website description recaps the above but I couldn't find it
anywhere in your site.

Look forward to hearing from you

Shannon Stumpf
St. Louis, Mo USA

And Number #2
(after I mumbled something about tradition of quoting other people materials)

Thank you for responding. I appreciate it.

I guess my problem with Zappa "quoting" Jupiter is that he didn't
"transmutate" it in anyway, which he usually does (then again, maybe I
haven't listened to enough of his symphonic music.) At the end of Call
Any Vegatable he satires the Beatles' Twist and Shout. It is obviously
making fun of the Beatles. With the Planets the rythm varies a little
but (aside from the instrumentation) otherwise there is little of his
usual personal interpretation. The reason I called Zappa a thief ( I do
so wishing I could be as clever) is because the Planets are not mentioned
anywhere in the liner notes. In fact, Absolutely Free states that all
music on the album is Written, Arranged and Conducted by FZ. Well . . .
he knew that was a lie when he told MGM to print it! He has used
Stravinsky's material on several occasions, not mutated it and given
Stravinsky full credit . Indeed, Zappa usually just went ahead and used
Stravinsky's song title.